Portofino Cucina Italiana in Downtown LA

I went to Gallery Row a couple weeks ago to check out an exhibit produced by the LA Nomadic Division. The show was hit and miss but I think the space completely devours the artwork and is hard to really appreciate, a great challenge for any curator. I walked down Main and came across Portofino Cucina Italiana, 464 S Main St LA CA. I walked in and it was empty, not a good sign during lunch. The service was great. You can sense the pride they have in their food. I ordered the egg plant parmesan and a Arnold Palmer. The egg plant was difficult to enjoy. The sauce was good, the pasta seemed homemade, the cheeses and spices decent but none of the flavor seemed to be in the foreground, it was all in the background. Also, I got the sense that the dish was heated. Even if it wasn't, it shouldn't give the possibility that it could have been heated if it wasn't. The salad was delicious and the bread was really wonderful. I sensed that maybe i ordered the wrong dish. I probably should have ordered the spaghetti or something like that. Great people, though.